29 October 2008
United Nations Urges Transparency from Iran’s Nuclear Program
Iran’s refusal to answer questions raises concerns, says U.N. official
Washington — If Iran’s controversial nuclear program is as peaceful as claimed, the United Nations’ top nuclear guardian asks, why does Tehran refuse to answer questions about possible undeclared nuclear materials and alleged research into nuclear weapons design?
“I regret that we are still not in a position to achieve full clarity regarding the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran,” International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohamed ElBaradei said in his annual report to the U.N. General Assembly October 28.
After six years of intensive negotiations, the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency has succeeded in clarifying many questions about Iran’s “declared” nuclear program, but Tehran’s refusal to comment in detail about possible “undeclared” projects, as well as alleged research into modifying missiles to carry nuclear warheads, experiments with high-explosive triggering mechanisms, and other military-related nuclear programs, prevents the IAEA from completing its mission to confirm that Iran’s nuclear activities are strictly civilian in nature, ElBaradei said.
Iran suspended the IAEA’s ability to conduct snap inspections of Iranian nuclear sites in 2006. Since then, the U.N. Security Council has imposed three rounds of sanctions on government agencies, Iranian officials, banks and other institutions linked to the program. The council’s five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — have joined with Germany to form the “P5+1,” which has worked to convince Iran to suspend enrichment and come to the negotiating table.
ElBaradei rejected Iranian arguments that the IAEA is exceeding its mandate in demanding answers to these questions. Answers would be “good for Iran, good for the Middle East region and good for the world,” he said.
“Our focus is clearly on nuclear material and activities,” ElBaradei said. “I am confident that arrangements can be developed which enable the agency to clarify the remaining issues.”
ElBaradei’s remarks come as P5+1 member Russia has suggested it may reduce its role in the group in response to U.S. sanctions on a Russian arms exporter, which is among a list of 13 companies penalized under new restrictions announced October 24. Such a move threatens Moscow’s own long-standing concerns about nuclear proliferation, says State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.
“This is not a favor to us,” McCormack said. “Iran having a nuclear weapon is not in Russia's interest. It is in nobody's interest. So, working diplomatically to see that they do not have the abilities and the know-how and the technologies and the hardware to solve some of the toughest problems that could lead to a nuclear weapon is in Russia's interest.”
NUCLEAR THEFT A THREAT, SAYS ELBARADEI
ElBaradei also reported that there were close to 250 thefts of nuclear and radioactive materials between June 2007 and June 2008, a figure that he called “disturbingly high.”
“The possibility of terrorists obtaining nuclear or other radioactive material remains a grave threat,” ElBaradei told members of the U.N. General Assembly. “Equally troubling is the fact that much of this material is not subsequently recovered.”
Analysts say the estimate might result from better reporting by nations rather than growing demand. IAEA personnel were also quick to clarify that the reported incidents involved small amounts of radioactive substances, and there is not enough missing nuclear material to produce an actual atomic bomb.
